Apparatus for discharging cores from castings and for cleaning castings



" June 24, 1930. J. T. STONEY 1,765,462 I APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING CORES FROM CASTINGS AND FOR CLEANING CASTINGS Filed Feb. 21. 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. T. STONEY 1765,462

APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING CORES FROM CASTINGS AND FOR CLEANING CASTINGS June 24, 1930.

a Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21) 1927 June 1930- .1. T. s'roNEY 1,765,462

APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING CORES FROM CASTINGS AND FOR CLEANING GASTINGS Filed Feb. 21, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES JOHN T. STONEY, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING GOEES FROM OASTINGS AN D FOR CLEANING GASTIN'GS Application filed February 21, 1927. Serial No. 169,737.

This invention relates to a method and ap paratus for discharging cores from castings and for cleaning castings. 7

An important object of the present invention is to provide a method of handling castings after the same are poured in which the sand cores are disintegrated and discharged from the casting'and the casting is cleaned a short time after the pouring l0 and while the casting is still hot, this method permitting the green or dry core sand to be reclaimed and used in making other molds or cores.

A further object is to provide a method of freeing sand cores from castings by impart ing vibrations to thebody of the'casting' held on a support by means of a vibrator engaging the top of the casting. v

A further object is to provide apparatus by means of which a sand core can be very rapidly disintegrated and discharged from a casting. A further object is to provide means in connection with the core disintegrating and discharging-means for separat- 2 ing metal reenforcing members from the sand after-the cores have been discharged from the casting. 1

A further object is to provide means for simultaneously disintegrating the sand cores and extracting core reenforci'ng members from the casting. A

'A further object is to provide a core disintegrating and discharging machine having a supporting stand upon which'the castings may be placed and a vibrator mechanism adapted to be engaged withthe casting on the stand to impart vibrations thereto for the purpose of disintegrating and discharging the sand cores, and in vconnection with 40 the core disintegrating and discharging ma chine to provide conveying'means by which the castings may be deposited one ata time upon the stand, the vibrator -Inechanism being movable to a position clear of the conveying means so'as not toiinterfere with the depositing ofthe castings upon the stand and the removal of the castings therefrom; *With the above and other: objects inview, the invention may be said to comprise the method and apparatus as illustrated in the accompanying drawings hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims together with such variations and modifications thereof as will he apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention appertains V Reference should be 'had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which' Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of the supporting stand with the wire extracting mechanism thereon and showing in section the vibrator mechanism which engages with the present invention, thecastings, shortly after being poured, are removed from the flasks and outer portions of the sand mold and are conveyed by means of carriers 1 along the monorail track 2 to a supporting stand '3 where the sand'cores are discharged from the casting andthe casting is cleaned by creating vibrations in the body of the castingby means'which will be hereinafter described. The track'2 extends over the supporting stand 3 and directly over the stand is provided with a drop track section 4 iii) which is operated by a fluid cylinder 6 to lower the castings onto the supporting stand, the drop tracksection 4 being movable from an upper position in alignment with the fixed portions of the track 2 to a lower position in which the castings rest upon the supporting stand. Thecore is disintegrated and dis'charged from the casting on the supporting stand by means of asuitable vibrator mechanism 6' which Will be hereinafter describedmore in detail; The vibrator mechanism'serves to set up'vibrations in the body of the casting which cause the sand cores to be' rapidly disintegrated lee and also serves to dislodge any sand adhering to either the interior or the exterior of the casting. The castings are subjected to the core discharging and cleaning operation while still quite hot, preferably While the interior portions of the casting are still at a bright red heat. The sand discharged from the cores .may be collected upon a suitable conveyor extending beneath the floor together with the sand discharged from the flasks, and all of this sand mixed with new sand when necessary may be reclaimed and used in forming other molds or cores.

The supporting stand 3 has a central portion 7 adapted to receivea casting and this portion upon which the casting is placed is provided with an opening 8 beneath the openings in the bottom of the casting to permit discharge of the sand as it is disintegrated by the vibration of the casting. Diverging chutes 9 are placed beneath the op ening 8 to receive the sand discharged from the casting, the chutes 9 being provided withscreens 10 which =permit the sand to pass through but prevent the passage of of the arm 12 there ;is a vertically disposed fluid pressure cylinder 13,inwhich is 'mounted a piston 14 which has attached thereto a piston rod 15 which extends through the lower end of the cylinder. A vibratorcylinder 16 has its upper head'17 attached to the lower end of the piston rod 15 and the vibrator cylinder has an impact piston 18 which is rapidly reciprocated upon admission of fluid pressure to the cylinder to impart percussive impulsesin rapid'succession'to percussion member 19 which is slidably mounted in the lower end of the cylinder 16. The percussion member 19 has attached thereto an anvil 20' which is adapted to rest uponthe top of the casting on'the support 7 and thisanvil is connected to the cylinder 16 by means of vertically disposed bolts 21. which pass through a flange 22' at the lower end oflthecylinder.

A yie'ldableeOnne'Ction between the anvil 20 and the cylinder 16 is provided by means of springs 23' mounted .on the upper: ends of j the 'bolts'21' and interposed between the flange 22 and-nuts era the upperends of ithefibolts. wSuitable control-valves are provided for;ccontrolling the admission of fressure tothecylinders 13 and 16, the conmechanism is held in an elevated position clear ,of the casting, and when, pressure is admitted to the upper side of the piston 14 the vibrator mechanism will be lowered into engagement with the top offthe casting.

The rapidly recurring impacts of the piston V 18 against the percussion member 19 set up vibrations in'the member 19 and anvil 20 and these vibrations are transmittedto the bod of the castin causin the sand core within the casting to be rapidly disintegrated and discharged through the openings in the bottom of the casting.

Upon opposite ends of the supporting stand 3 are a. pair of longitudinally. disposed fiuid pressure cylinders 25 each having a piston 26 and a piston rod 27 eXtend- 7 ing throughthe inner end thereof. To the inner endof each piston rod 27 there is at tached a head28 which isslidably mounted upon longitudinally extending guide rods 29 for movement toward and from a casting on the central supporting portion 7. Each of the heads 28 has a pair of oppositely dis posed gripper cylinders 30 at right angles to the cylinders 25 and each of these'cylindersis provided with a piston 31 and a piston rod 32 extending through the inner end thereof, the inner ends of the piston rods being provided withgripper heads 33 which are adapted to engage with reenforcing wires pro ecting through open ngs in opposite sides of the casting. The piston rods 27 are of a length such that when the pistons are at the inner ends of their strokes the gripper heads 32-aredmmediately ad-- ]acent opposite sides of'the castingiand are adapted to grip between them the core reenforcin wires ro'ectin throu h ovenings in the casting. Suitable" control valves are provided for the cylinders 25 by means of which the pistons 26 may be simultaneously moved toward or from the inner ends 'of the cyhndersjand the gripper cylinders 30 are lilrewisel provided with a suitable valve by means of which the gripper: heads may be'simultaneously moved into gripping engagement withthe wires or maybe-simultaneously Vmoved to releasing position. When a castingvis placed upon the supporting stand, the heads 28 are. advanced to po+ sitions adjacent opposite sides :of the cast;

ing and the gripperme'mbers are moved to 1.:

gripping position by simultaneouslyadm-itting pressure: to the outer ends of the cylinders 30. The control valveforzthe cyl inders 25 is then reversed to cause'thegripper heads to be simultaneously moved: away from theca'sting to forcibly extract the, re enforcing wires. After the gripper heads are retracted, the control valve iorthe cylinders30 is actuated .to release the grippers and permit the reenforcing wires which have been extracted from-the casting to fall into chutesfi i which are positionedbeneath the gripper heads on opposite sides of the sand chutes 9.

In the operation of the machine, a carrier is advanced along the track 2 onto the drop track section which is then lowered to place the casting on the support 7 ofthe stand. The arm 12 is then, swung around to position the vibrator directly overthe casting and pressure is admitted to the upper side'of the piston 14 to lower the anvil into engagement with the top of the casting. At the same time, the control valve for the cylinder is operated to. shift the gripper heads to positions adjacent the op posite sides of the casting and the control valve for the cylinders is operated to cause the gripper heads 33 to engage the ends of the reenforcing wires projecting from the casting. The control valve for the cylinders 25 will then be reversed to withdraw the heads simultaneously from the casting to .extract the wires. Immediately after the vibrator is engaged with the casting the control valve for the cylinder 16 is operated to set the impact piston 18 into operation so that while the Wires are being extracted from the casting the casting is maintained in a state of vibration to disintegr'ate the sand cores and clean the casting. By "the time the reenforcing wires have been extracted the castingwillhave been 2 completely cleaned ;and the control valvefor the cylinder 13 is operated to elevate the vibrator mechanism to a position clear ofthecasting whereupon the arm 12 is swung to a position clear of the supporting stand'so that the cleaned casting can be removed therefrom and another casting to be operated upon may beplaced upon the supporting portion 7.' V I The fluid pressure vibrator is perferably of the type-known in theart as a one-way vibrator in which the upward stroke of the piston 18 is cushioned so that vibrations are transmitted to the anvil member 20 only by the impact of the piston 18'upon the impact member 19 at the lower end ofithe cylinder, a suit-able fluid pressure cushion being provided at the upper end of the cylinder to dissipate the force of the upward stroke and prevent impact of the piston against the upper head17 ofthe cylinder. The creation of vibrations by percussive impulses in. one direction only by the use of a one-way vibrator instead of a vibrator in which the piston impinges against both heads of the cylinder has been found to greatly shorten the time required casting and the speed of operation is also materially increased by applying the vibra tor to the top of the casting and imparting the percussive impulses in a downward direction, Having thus described my invention, I claim: f 1. Apparatus for separating sand cores from castings comprising a rigid support upon which a'casting may be placed and a movably mounted vibrator engageable with the to of a casting on said support.

2. li pparatus for separating sand cores from castings comprising a rigid support upon which a casting may be placed, a head mounted for movement into and out of engagement with the top of a casting on said support, and a vibrator mechanism car ried by said head. I

3; Apparatus for separating sand cores from castings comprising a rigid support upon which a casting may be placed, a I

rigid member adapted to be placedupon the top of a castlng on sa1d support, andmeans for imparting, percussive impulses in rapid ally swinging arm carried by said standard,

an anvil member carried by said arm and adapted in oneposition of the .arm to rest uponthe top of a casting on said stand, and means for imparting percussive impulses in rapid succession to said anvil member., a

' 6. Apparatus for separating sand cores from castings comprising a supporting stand adapted to receive acasting, a standard mounted alongside said stand, a laterally swinging arm carried by said, standard, an anvil member carried by said arm and adapted in one position of the arm to rest upon the top of acastingon said stand,

and means for imparting percussive impulses in rapid succession and in a downward dlrection only to said anvil member.

,7. Apparatus for discharging reinforced sand cores from castings comprisingfa sup means for simultaneously imparting vibrations to the casting to dislodge the sand therefrom..

8. Apparatus for discharging reinforced sand cores from castings comprising supporting stand having a portion adapted receive a casting, mechanism mounted on said stand for gripping and extracting a core reinforcing member, and a vibrator engageable with a casting on said stand for disintegrating the sand core.

9. Apparatus for discharging reinforced sand cores from castings comprising a rigid supporting member adapted to receive a casting and permit discharge of sand therefrom, means mounted adjacent said supporting member for extracting core reinforcing members, and means engageabie' with "the top of a casting on said supporting member for imparting vibrations to the casting to disintegrate the sand of the core.

10. Apparatus for discharging reinforced sand cores from castings comprising a rigid supporting member adapted to receive a casting and permit discharge of sand therefrom, meansmounted acent said suppo ing member for extracting core reinforcing member, means engageable with the top of a casting on said supporting member for imparting vibrations to the castmg to disintegrate the sand of the core, and means for screening the sand dischar ed from said castings. e

11. Apparatus for discharging wire reinforced sand cores from castings com; "ising a support for the casting, a wire gripper, a support for the wire gripper, means for moving one of said supports toward and from the other to extract a wire from the core, means for actuating said gripper, and means for imparting vibrations to the casting during extraction of the wire to disintegrate the sand core.

12. Apparatus fordischarging wire reinforced sand cores from a casting comprising a supporting stand having a central portion adaptedto receive a casting, wire grippers mounted on said stand for movement toward and from a casting on said central portion, means for moving said grippers simultaneously toward and from the casting and for actuating the same'to grip reinforcing wires projecting therefrom, and' a movably mounted vibrator engageable was the casting on thesupporting stand. 7 r

'13; Apparatus for discharging wire reinforced sand cores from a casting comprising a supporting stand having a central portion adapted to receive a casting, wire grippers mounted on sald stand'for movement toward 7 and from a casting on said central portion,

means for moving said grippers simultaneously toward and from thecasting and for actuating the same :to grip reinforcing wires projecting therefrom, a movably mounted vibrator engageable with the casting'onthe supporting stand, a chute beneath the central portion of the stand to receive the sand discharged from the casting, and chutes on opposite sides of the sand chute for receiving the reinforcing wires.

14. Apparatus for discharging wire reinforced sand cores from a casting comprising a supporting stand having a central portion adapted to receive a casting, wire grippers mounted on said stand for movement toward and from a casting on said central portion, means for moving said grippers simultaneously toward and from the casting and for actuating the same to grip reinforcing wires projecting therefrom, a movably mounted vibrator engageable with the casting on the supporting stand, a chute beneath the central portion of the stand to receive the sand discharged from the casting, and chutes on opposite sides of the sand chute for receiving the reinforcing wires, said first mentioned chute having a screen to separate core reinforcing members. I

15. Apparatus for separating sand cores from castings comprising a supporting stand, means conveying castings to said stand and for depositing the same upon the stand, and a vibrator mechanism mounted for movement laterally out of the path of move-- ment of the conveying means and adapted to be placed in engagement with the top of a casting on the supporting stand. j

16. Apparatus for discharging reenforced sand cores from castings comprising a supporting stand provided with a portion adapted to receive a casting, mechanism mounted on said stand for gripping and extracting a core reenforcing member, and a vibrator engageable with the top of a casting on said stand and having means for imparting percussive impulses in rapid succession and in a downward direction only to said casting. y

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affiicmy signature. V V J OHN T. STONEY. 

